Guarantees in Business - we think Yes

Posted on 17th May 2018 at 10:11

If you were to look up guarantee in the Collins online dictionary they have a mass of definitions. Our personal favourite is number two on the list: ‘Something that is a guarantee of something else makes it certain that it will happen or that it is true.

Many of us have expectations and belief in guarantees but, we don’t truly believe that a guarantee will hold up. Which is why a guarantee for a business, no matter what the size or customer offering, is essential in this age of competitive marketplaces.

If we were to relate our definition above to business, then surely it would mean that if a company says they will provide a service, or a timescale, or a price, this will be done.

Simples really!

But, what if we looked further and thought about those business guarantees. Maybe they are not so much about what is said in the guarantee but what isn’t in the guarantee or what’s not pointed out at the time of buying the product or service.

Does the guarantee fall down because it was verbal, have you ever been quoted something like “ ahh but it isn’t in writing is it”, or maybe the promise made verbally has been forgotten, lost in conversation or translation from promise to delivery.

So, as a business owner do we care about guarantees for our business - OH YES WE DO..OR ..OH YES WE SHOULD. Guarantees are a powerful tool in both marketing and also building our business, a well thought out, well-executed guarantee, which a business can stand by is like gold dust in the world brand loyalty and reputation.

Guarantees should be customer-centric, they should reflect what’s important to the customer and not what a business can get away with to keep people happy. If your business is running efficiently and effectively and striving to be the very best it can, then a guarantee should be easy to support your clients.

Mortgage Preparation for the Business Person

Pic 'n' Mix a Business Coach

Posted on 30th April 2018 at 21:57

Coaches come in all shapes and sizes, they have different styles, processes and experience. Many are trained or accredited others are experienced in life/business but with no formal training. Some cost the earth and some seem too cheap to be any good..

A Customer Service Lesson by Chocolate

Picture the scene if you will -. A Saturday afternoon in Oxford with a little retail therapy, I walked past a well know high street chocolate shop, known for its good quality chocolate.

I advanced towards the chocolate counter, eyeing up the choices from which I could choose. However, because of the relaxed mood I was in, I couldn’t make a quick decision on my purchase…so blow it I thought and I asked the very pleasant lady behind the counter to give me two of each chocolate she had on display in a bag please…then I asked if she could repeat this order so that I could share with these with friends.

Managing Stress

So here we are, the last month of 2017 and the stress of Christmas and New Year to be with us soon. We thought it would be a good time to look at stress, its causes and our reactions to it.

A favourite definition of stress here at The Business-Box is that “Stress occurs when someone thinks that the demands on them exceed the personal and social resources that the individual is able to mobilise.” (Richard S. Lazarus).

Our reason for this is it places stress and the ability to manage it straight back within our control.